The Hidden Life of a Song: Why Publishing Matters

Publishing is one of those parts of the music business that a lot of artists either ignore, misunderstand, or leave until later.

I get why. It is not the exciting bit. It is not the studio session, the remix, the DJ support, the vinyl arriving, the Bandcamp orders, seeing it stocked in your local record shop, or hearing your track played out for the first time.

But publishing matters.

Earlier this year, I wrote a piece called Music Publishing Made Simple: Why It Matters and How It Powers NuNorthern Soul, which broke down the basics of what music publishing actually is and how it works behind the scenes.

This article goes a little deeper. Not just into publishing itself, but into why artists need to think about their catalogue long-term, how publishing can become an important revenue stream, and why protecting your rights today can have an impact for years — and sometimes generations — to come.

In simple terms, publishing looks after the composition: the song, the melody, the lyrics, the writing and the musical ideas behind the recording. It is intellectual property and, for artists, writers, producers and remixers, it can become one of the most important long-term revenue streams available.

If it is looked after properly, publishing can continue generating income long after the original release campaign has finished. In some cases, it can continue supporting an artist's family and estate long after they have gone.

That is why I think artists need to take it seriously.

More Than Just Royalties

When most people think about music income, they think about streaming, downloads, vinyl sales, gigs or merchandise.

Publishing often sits quietly in the background.

Yet publishing income can come from a variety of sources including radio plays, TV broadcasts, public performance, sync licensing, covers, compilations, online content and much more.

Unlike many areas of the music business, publishing is directly linked to the ownership of the composition itself. The song remains the song regardless of the format it appears on.

That is why publishing can continue generating value for years, sometimes decades, after the music was first released.

Remixes, Fees and Future Value

A lot of remix work in independent music happens through favours, swaps, friendships, small fees or sometimes no fee at all. That is the reality. I have been around long enough to know how these things work.

But even if the fee is small, or there is no fee, the agreement still needs to be clear.

If you are doing a remix, try to make sure there is some kind of fee attached and a fair percentage of the remix publishing. If there is no fee available, then it is worth considering negotiating a higher publishing share.

That might not feel important at the time, but it can matter enormously later.

A remix might sit quietly for years and then suddenly get picked up for a film, advert, documentary, fashion campaign, compilation or online broadcast. If the paperwork is right, everyone involved can share in that income. If it is not, money can be missed, delayed or lost completely.

This is not about making music less creative. It is about making sure the people who create the music are properly protected.

What We Do At NuNorthern Soul Publishing

Through NuNorthern Soul Publishing, we have spent the last few years helping artists understand, manage and maximise the value of their publishing rights.

That can mean checking registrations, correcting missing information, making sure the right writers are listed and helping mop up residual income that may have been sitting unclaimed or misdirected.

Sometimes it is about identifying songs that were never properly registered. Sometimes it is about finding royalties that have fallen through the cracks. Sometimes it is simply about helping artists understand what they own and how the system works.

It is not glamorous work, but it is important work.

The aim is simple: make sure an artist's catalogue is properly registered, properly protected and properly working for them.

But our role goes beyond administration.

We also proactively pitch music for sync opportunities through our international network and trusted partners, helping tracks find new homes in film, television, advertising, fashion, broadcast and online content.

A recent example came through our partners at Sentric Music and their client Mother, with a number of NuNorthern Soul tracks synced for the Marks & Spencer live-streamed Ibiza fashion show, which has since generated more than 935,000 views on YouTube as of the date of this blog post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KVxvpsdVJk

That is a perfect example of why publishing matters.

A track can start life on an album, EP or remix package and then find a completely different audience years later through a sync opportunity. When the rights are properly looked after, those opportunities can become meaningful income for the people who created the music.

Publishing is not just about collecting what is already owed.

It is about creating future opportunities.

Artist Voices

To bring this into the real world, I asked a few artists I respect to share their thoughts on publishing, ownership and legacy.

Ilija Rudman

Croatian producer, DJ and songwriter Ilija Rudman has spent decades building a substantial catalogue of music. For him, publishing is about both the present and the future.

"As a composer and producer of a vast catalogue of music, for me publishing is very important, and even more so when it's handled properly by people who take care of it at the highest level. Music catalogue publishing is not just something for the present time. As a father, it is important to me because those royalties will be something for my children's lives long after I have passed away."

Coyote (Ampo & Timm Sure)

Balearic favourites Coyote highlight how publishing has become an increasingly important income stream in a changing music industry.

"Publishing has been integral to the longevity of IIB and Coyote. It wasn't something that we had paid much attention to until we hooked up with Phil and NuNorthern Soul. The added income stream has helped us greatly, as the money involved in vinyl sales gets less and less as the costs go up and up. It has been a simple process through NuNorthern Soul and we would highly recommend using Phil. He's one of the good guys."

Danny Ward (Moodymanc / Balaphonic)

For producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist Danny Ward, publishing has played a key role in sustaining and developing his creative work.

"As an artist creating original music, the one revenue stream which might just sustain you through your career and beyond is from your publishing. Indeed for me it's been really significant in helping to develop my studio and my sound, and I'm forever grateful for it. I would wholeheartedly recommend to any artist that they make sure to be on top of this aspect of their catalogue."

Simon Mills (Bent / One Half Of Bent)

Few people have witnessed the changes in the music industry over the last few decades quite like Simon Mills.

"It's absolutely imperative for a publisher to understand and actively protect an artist's work. In today's climate where streaming offers very little income, proper publishing support is essential for an artist's survival. Since working with NuNorthern Soul, I've seen a significant increase in my income because they're genuinely invested in maximising what my catalogue can earn."

Final Thoughts

If you are an artist, writer, producer or remixer, my advice is simple.

Know what you own.

Know what you are giving away.

Agree your splits early.

Get things in writing.

Register your works properly.

Do not be embarrassed to talk about money.

Your music is one of the few assets that can continue working for you long after the initial work has been done. It is part of your catalogue, your intellectual property and ultimately your legacy.

Look after it properly and it can continue generating value for years to come.

And if you would like to discuss how we might be able to help with your publishing, catalogue management or sync opportunities, please get in touch via NuNorthern Soul Publishing.

We are always happy to have a conversation.